Internal-combustion engine



CA.BROCK INTERNAL COMBUSTI ON ENGINE Filed April 11, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet1 I raven/160v n W N 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- Invent/ 02:

C. A. BROOK INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 11, 191.8

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Patented Feb. 3, 1935. I

CLARENCE A. nnocx, or nn'rnorr, MICHIGAN.

INTERN AL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed April 11, 1918. Serial No. 228,064.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE A. BRooK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented a new anduseful Improvement in an Internal-Combustion Engine,of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification.

The present invention relates to multi-cylinder internal combustionengines, of the type used, for instance, in the propulsion ofaeroplanes.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved device forintroducing liquid fuel in finely divided form into the cylinders of anengine of the type in which ignition of the explosive charge isaccomplished by the heat produced by the extremely high compression ofthe air which forms a .part of the charge.

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in longitudi nal section, of my improvedengine.

Fig. 2 is a detail view, in section, showing a fuel feeding plugemployed in connection with each cylinder of my improved engine.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

The cylinders of the engine are mounted in a stationary hollow frameworkor casting designated generally by the numeral 1', and providing at oneend thereof a suitable bearing 2 for a crank shaft 3. The frame orcasting 1 is cylindrical in outline, and is open at its end opposite thebearing 2 for the insertion of the crank shaft 3 and the attachmentthereto of the piston rods 16. A plate at for the closure of the openend of casting 1 provides a suitable bearing 5 for the corresponding endof crank shaft 3, and

also preferably supports an anti-friction thrust bearing 6 of ordinaryconstruction,

' which takes care of any endwise or axial movement of the shaft 3.

' As herein shown the shaft 3 provides four crank arms, arranged in theusual fashion, the two at the ends being in alinement and 180 distantfrom the two center arms. Each crank arm is adapted to serve a row orset of .radially arranged cylinders 7, disposed in the same generaltransverse plane as said crank armand carried by the framework 1.

. The engine of the present invention is designed to operate on thetwo-stroke cycle,

that is, with an explosion'occurring each time a piston reaches the topof its stroke. The ignition of the explosive charge is ac-' complishedby the heat produced by the extremely high compression of the air whichforms a part of said charge, in a manner similar to that employed inengines working on the Diesel cycle. ,To this end W shaft 3 carries ablower 17 which draws in air for the explosive charge and directs saidair into channels 18 formed in the casting 1 between the severalcylinders 7. These channels 18 communicate with annular passages 19surrounding each cylinder, and in the vicinity of said passages 19 thecylinders 7 are provided with a circumferential series of inlet ports20, which, when uncovered by the pistons 10 at the proper phase of thecycle, admit air under pressure above said pistons. This admission ofair takes place at the end of each power stroke of a piston, andaccomplishes the scavenging of the cylinder by forcing the burned gasesout of the cylinder through a circumferential series of exhaust ports21, just above the intake ports 20. These exhaust ports 21 communicatewith an annular passage 22 surrounding each cylinder and separatedfromthe passage 19 by a web or partition 23. Channels 24 formed in thecasting 1 convey the exhaust gases from the passages 22 to an exhaustmanifold 25, said channels acting to muffle, to some extent, the exit ofsaid gases.

The admission to each cylinder of hydrocarbon fuel, such as gasoline,kerosene, or heavier'oil, is controlled by a plug 26 located in the headof each cylinder and having a suitable connection, not shown for thesake of clearness, to a liquid fuel pump 27,. whichis driven by a gear28 in mesh with a gear 29 on the crank shaft 3; these plugs 26 is shownin detail in Fig. 3, and consists. of a hollow shell or body ortion 30,having an exterior screw threa by which it is secured in the head of thecylinder.

One of An interior screw thread near the top of body portion30 providesfor the at which admits liquid fuel under pressure to the interior ofplug 26 and automatically prevents any back flow of the fuel thusadmitted, or the building up of an excessive pressure in the fuel linein opposition to the pump 27. A second check valve 36 within the neckportion 31 serves the same purpose as the valve and when seated by itsspring effectually confines the liquid fuel in the body portion of plug26 and enables the pressure thereon to be maintained. The spring ofvalve 36 bears against a spider 37, which spider supports a rigiddepending rod 38, for a purpose hereinafter described.

The shell 30 of the plug has an inturned annular flan e 39, in the spacesurrounding which is confined a spring 40. This annular space provides aseries of openings 41 which lead from the interior of the shell 30 intoa space 42 which is surrounded by an annular valve seat 43, held insideof a depending annular flange 44 of the shell. Cooperating with saidvalve seat is a valve 45 of the mushroom type, having a hollow tubularstem which passes through the inturned flange 39 of the plug body. Atits upper end this hollow stem has a washer 46 held thereon by a nut 47,and the spring 4!) bears against the under side of said washer to holdthe valve in closed position, tight against the seat 43.

Passing through the hollow stem of the valve is a movable plunger 48,whose lower end, when the plug 26 is in position, is so disposed as tobe engaged by the top of a piston 10 when the latter is just reachingthe upper end of its stroke. The inner portion of the plunger 48 isbored out to loosely receive the rod 38, there being a clearance spaceall around so that the liquid fuel enters the bore of the plunger andcompletely fills the same.

When the plunger is forcibly moved up ward by the impact of the piston,an appreciable increase of pressure is imposed on the liquid fuel withinthe plug, below the check valve 36. This sudden increase of pressure issuflicient, momentarily, to overcome the spring 40, whereupon thepressure is exerted to crack open the valve 45 and thus allow a measuredportion of the liquid fuel to enter the cylinder past. the seat 43. Theincreased pressure is relieved almost immediately and the movement ofthe piston away from the plunger 48 causes the valve to be reseated inposition to admit the next charge on the followins stroke of the piston.

The restricted opening through which the fuel passes into the cylindercauses it to enter in a fine spray, this action being increased bysuitably shaping the cooperating faces of valve 45 and seat 43. Cominginto admixture with the highly compressed air in the cylinder, at thetop of the pistons stroke, the explosive charge thus formed isself-ignited by the heat of compression, and imparts a downward impulseto the piston. As above described, the burned gas is expelled throughports 21 by the scavenging air which enters through ports 20 when thepiston reaches the bottom of its stroke.

In this way the fuel actually forces it self, in finely divided form,into the cylinder. The displacement of fuel by the plunger 48 under theimpact of the piston is always sufiicient to build up enough pressurewithin the fuel to cause the valve to open. My device differs from thoseheretofore ems ployed for the same general purpose in that the fuel isinjected without the use of any; auxiliary source of pressure, such ascompressed air or steam, which would require additional valve mechanism.This simplicity of action results not only in an extremely reliable andcompact device, but also effects a real saving in fuel consumption ascompared with previous devices. This saving is due to the. fact that thevalve has no tendency to drip after the full charge. of fuel has beeninjected, for it is obvious that the valve will be completely closed assoon as the pressure within the fuel is relieved. \Vhere an auxiliarysource of pressure is employed for injectine the fuel, the admissionvalve often remains slightly opened,

due to improper operation of the pressure controlling device. Inaddition, the fact that undiluted fuel is injected into the highlycompressed air in the cylinder practically insures self-ignition of thecharge so that the engine is more certain of operation than an engine inwhich the fuel is injected by air pressure.

Any desired means, such as compressed air directed through the plugs 26may be employed for starting the engine, following which the explosionsin the cylinders of the several sets or rows take place in regularorder, as each piston reaches the top of its stroke.

I claim,

In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder, apiston movable therein, and a fuel supply, of a valve adapted to openinwardly to said cylinder, and a plunger movable within the valve bysaid piston for placing the fuel under pressure to open said valve.

CLARENCE A. BROOK.

